Breaking Barriers
by Whitewolfffy
Summary: With Kisshu stuck in Masha's body, and his constant teasing to boot, Ichigo thought it couldn't get any worse. She is learning quickly how fast it can. Sequel to HEARING VOICES.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TMM, but all original ideas in this story are completely mine.**_

* * *

**~ Chapter One ~**

Dear Diary,

I've never written in a diary before, but I want to start. This entry will mark the beginning of a new journey for me, and a chronicle in my life that I hope someday someone else will read and learn from. Perhaps my words will one day reach the heart of someone else who is going through something similar to what I'm experiencing. If not, then maybe I'm just writing for myself. In a way, this will help me vent out what I'm going through.

A year ago from today I was bitten by a Chimera that changed my life forever. A year ago from today, my life was inexplicably threaded with Kisshu's. We learned that our minds had been linked together, and through that we could hear each other's voices, share images and memories, and even a bond that expanded into something unbreakable. I was tied to Kisshu in a way that no other soul had been before.

To protect me, he took one of the jewels out of his Sai's hilt and implanted it into my palm. The jewel contained his DNA, and since the Mew Project already allowed me to absorb DNA and bond it with my own, his also ran through my blood and changed me from the inside out. I have his alien DNA in me now, and through that I can even do some of the things that the aliens can do. It allowed me to have the power to defeat the new Chimeras the aliens had made. They combined the DNA of the Mews with their Chimeras, and Tokyo was nearly destroyed. Kisshu abandoned his own kind to help us, and in the end it almost cost him his life.

Kisshu combined my soul with a Chimera so that I would be powerful enough to defeat the ultimate creation. It worked, but I was going to die because of my state. He wouldn't let that happen, and in a last attempt, Kisshu sealed his soul into Masha so that he would be strong enough to pull the Chimera out of me.

I couldn't return to Akasaka and the others like that, and I wouldn't leave Kisshu's body. So Pai helped us.

I am now living with the aliens in their other dimension bubble, and Kisshu's body is being safely preserved while Pai researches a way to return his soul back to it. Until then, Kisshu uses Masha's body as his new residence.

_~ Ichigo Momomiya_

* * *

The infirmary was dimly lit, as Pai preferred it to be unless he was at work. Unlike the rest of the dimension, the infirmary was the only place that Ichigo felt at home. It was an odd thing, she knew, but this was where she spent the majority of her time.

Kisshu's body was untouched, sheathed beneath a shell of glass. His forest green hair was pulled into one low pony at the nape of his neck, his face still and peaceful. Ichigo folded her arms on the top of his glass coffin, laying her head down to watch him. It felt as though at any moment he would stir and open his eyes. Those beautiful, gold eyes that could read deeper into her than she herself could. She missed his smile, the teasing grin that was only for her.

Ichigo sighed softly, reluctant to move. She'd already been here for more than an hour, and she had training to do. It felt wrong somehow to leave him here, though. Alone in the infirmary, his body asleep and vulnerable. At least, he _looked_ vulnerable – more so than she had ever seen him before. She knew he wasn't actually here; this was only his body, not him.

She wasn't sure when it had become normal to expect Kisshu to be with her. His presence had become as natural as breathing. Somehow along the way she had begun to care. She had begun to depend on his smiling face, his insistent teasing and flirting.

_I miss you._

Ichigo allowed her eyes to fall closed. She reached forward, her palm running over the cool, transparent surface. She pressed her cheek to the glass, letting her other hand fall to her lap. It felt smooth and cold against her skin, a welcome contrast to the heat that begun to prickle on the back of her neck. The infirmary was definitely her favorite place. She could clear her mind here.

_[ I think it looks too much like a coffin. I look pale and skinny. ]_

Ichigo jerked away from the glass, her eyes flitting to the doorway. Masha's fluffy pink body hovered in the entrance, his tiny wings a blur. Her mouth curved into a smile.

"You _always_ look pale and skinny."

If he could have rolled his eyes, he would have. Kisshu floated in.

_[ And undeniably gorgeous among my kind, too. ]_

Ichigo spared him a short laugh, rising from her chair. He stopped near the head of the glass, his large eyes moving from his body to her.

_[ I know I'm strikingly irresistible to stare at, but shouldn't you be training with Taruto? ]_

She shot him a dark look, glancing one more time at his body before turning to leave. Kisshu followed.

_[ What's wrong, Koneko-chan? ]_

Ichigo pressed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes flitted to Masha's fluffy form. Eventually she would have to stop thinking of it as Masha. As much as she missed and adored the technical companion, he wasn't there anymore. It was Kisshu.

"I miss my parents, and my friends. As much as I hated it, I even miss school! I miss Ryou's constant nagging and rude comments, and the familiarity of working at the café."

_[ You miss being human. ]_ He summarized.

Ichigo nodded, exhaling a deep breath. The corridors winded through narrow spaces, the ceilings high. Finally columns rose overhead, informing them of their whereabouts. Ichigo turned left, following the path to the training room. Most of these rooms hadn't existed until she had arrived. But since she couldn't fly, nor teleport like the aliens, Pai had to create separate levels for her to reside that allowed a solid walking environment.

Taruto was waiting impatiently when they arrived. He glowered in her direction, his expression softening considerably when he noted Kisshu's presence. Ichigo found the situation mildly amusing, considering at one time the aliens had abducted Masha and tortured him. She was still angry about the details therein, but the fact that now they were treating the fuzzy pink thing as an equal left her with a smile. Taruto ignored her bluntly, dropping from his perch on a weapons rack to run over to Kisshu.

"It's about time you're here!" He said loudly.

_[ Tell him that I don't arrive on time for brats. ]_

Ichigo restrained a grin.

"He said that he isn't on a brat's schedule."

_[ I like that. Good editing. ]_

Taruto huffed, crossing his arms. His cheeks puffed out in irritation, and Ichigo found it a little harder to keep her composure. The brother-to-brother bantering was amusing enough, but even more so since she had taken the role of Kisshu's translator.

"If you didn't spend so much time with that old hag then maybe you wouldn't always be late."

Ichigo blurted angrily, "I'm not an old hag!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Runt!"

"Hag!"

_[ Stop already. Grab weapons if you insist on continuing this. Then it'll at least be entertaining. ]_

Taruto didn't hear him, but fell silent upon seeing the girl's immediate falter in the argument. She gestured to the weapon rack, and Taruto glared at her as he retrieved his usual choice. He twisted back his arm and threw a ninja star in her direction, initiating the training session.

These sessions always began like this. In real battle there was never warning, and the aliens didn't have the same code of honor as humans. Taruto had been advised by Pai to consider new weapon types, since he hadn't yet reached his coming-of-age. Once he did he would have to permanently choose one that would be branded with his DNA and bonded to him.

Ichigo ducked easily, flexing her fingers. The claw-blades slid out smoothly into place as she reached for her pendant. Her ears, tail, and outfit followed. She wished there was some way to pull out one piece of her Mew outfit without everything else following. She noted to bring it up in her next letter to Ryou and Akasaka.

"You stupid old hag!" Taruto crowed.

Ichigo rolled to the side, narrowly missing another star. Taruto had the advantage with a long-ranged weapon. The minute she got close enough, though, she would have the upper-hand. She fainted to the right, darting to the left when Taruto released another star in the assumed direction. He yelped in surprise as she drew closer, and Kisshu laughed in her head.

_[ He is ticklish behind his knees. ]_ Kisshu stated.

Ichigo grinned at the advice. She flew past the boy, feeling the whistle of another blade sail past her temple. However, she had reached her goal. Ichigo grasped onto his legs firmly, earning a surprised gasp from him, and attacked. Taruto let out a shriek of laughter as she fiercely dug into the back of his knees.

"No fair!" He yelled, tears brimming in his eyes, "You cheated! Kisshu, you aren't allowed to help her!"

Ichigo grinned triumphantly, not relinquishing her hold on him. She wanted to milk as much out of him as possible for the 'old hag' comment.

"Say 'Uncle'!" She said.

Taruto attempted to glare at her, but failed miserably as another roll of laughter bubbled out of him. She straddled his feet, successfully pinning the small boy down as she continued her assault.

"Uncle!" He gasped.

Ichigo rolled off of him, a smile plastered to her face. He rose to his feet shakily, shooting an irritated expression her way.

"That wasn't fair." He mumbled.

She laughed shortly, putting away her pendant, and with it the transformation. The glow lasted for a second before fading away.

"Don't pout. You're too old for that," She teased.

"Not as ancient as you, old hag."

Ichigo clocked him once on the back of the head, and he let out a yelp of pain.

"I'm not old!"

Before an argument could start, the atmosphere was cut thin by a strong, commanding voice.

"Mew Ichigo," He said flatly, "I have something to discuss with you."

The three turned in unison to see Pai in the threshold. He beckoned toward Ichigo, and she started immediately.

"Is it something urgent?" She found herself asking.

Pai nodded curtly, his eyes moving to Kisshu as he floated over to join them at the door. Left out of the conversation, Taruto strode back to the weapons' rack, grumbling under his breath as he went.

"Your lessons are not done for the day." Pai announced to the boy as they exited.

Far behind them, a young alien took his anger out on a mannequin.

* * *

The main part of the separate dimension was by far the most alien in quality. Pillars of foreign element rose in great, white contrast to the green atmosphere that surrounded them. A single width of solid platform stretched for a breath before giving way to empty space that dropped into nothing but air. This was the place Ichigo had visited before (excluding Kisshu's room) when she had been fighting the aliens. It was the common space.

Pai led her to his technical equipment – which she couldn't begin to describe in detail without sounding stupid – and proceeded to pull something up in a suspended image.

"I'm sure you understand, Mew Ichigo, that our business here originally consisted of finding a source of survival for our planet."

She nodded, her eyes following his fingers as they darted over the surface of some sort of keypad.

"Our goal was to obtain the Mew Aqua. Through this we could restore our planet to satisfactory living conditions. You know all of this. However, your friends, led by you, insistently blocked our progress."

Ichigo chewed on her bottom lip, "Yes."

Pai glanced at her, his expression empty of judgment, but full of an aloofness that she envied.

"Over the last week we have been held at a stand-still because of the skirmish in the residence of Tokyo city with our enhanced Chimeras. Despite this hold-back, we still need the Mew Aqua. This has not changed."

Ichigo blinked, "Wait! After all that chaos you caused down there, and after all the casualties, you still want to fight some more?"

"Not necessarily," He said blandly, "There is no need for a fight if you offer it willingly."

_[ What he is saying is that the fact that all of us are chums doesn't change that our planet is dying and still desperately needs the Mew Aqua. ]_

Ichigo raked a hand through her hair.

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

Pai swiveled his head toward her, for the first time taking his eyes completely off the device.

"Since you are not completely Mew, nor are you alien, we need you to negotiate with your old friends."

"They aren't my 'old' friends. They still are my friends!"

"According to my calculations," Pai continued, ignoring her, "There is more at stake than just our planet. The Mew Aqua may very well hold the key to fixing Kisshu's condition."

Ichigo's heart sputtered, her mouth unhinging.

"This is a foreign concept, but it is essential. We will need the aid of the Mews if we are to collect all of the Mew Aqua in time."

She struggled to process his words fast enough. Then she grasped onto something.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'in time'?"

The older alien regarded her with mild curiosity. There was something in his gaze that made her feel smaller, insignificant, and considerably stupid.

"Masha was not created to be a storing device. It was an expansion in his system, but it won't last forever. In addition, it takes special resources to preserve Kisshu's body in the required conditions it is in. This, too, won't last. We must find this Mew Aqua as quickly as possible, and the only route lies with your friends."

Ichigo kneaded her temples. It was becoming harder to breathe. Kisshu's life was on a time limit?

_[ I don't think a letter is going to be enough. We're going to have to pay them a visit sooner than you expected. ] _Kisshu said quietly.

* * *

_**Welcome back, everyone! I told you I'd post the sequel as soon as possible. And here we go! :D**_

_**I already have the main plotline down in my head, so stick with me for the ride. Questions will be answered here in the A/N if you have any, so feel free to leave them in the reviews through the story. **_

_**Whitewolfffy~**_

**PUSH DA BUTTON!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Kisshu's room was incredibly warm, unlike the rest of the dimension. But even in this warmth Ichigo ached for the seclusion of their secret place, the separate bubble that belonged only to them. She tried to picture the chandelier in her head, the glittering curtains that cascaded and rippled like stars in daylight. The image blurred and edged out of focus, dancing out of reach.

Ichigo rolled over onto her side, burying her face into the rich green pillows on the alien's bed. The spicy scent that belonged to said boy had faded since she had started sleeping there regularly. Ichigo stretched out over the sheets, and she forced back the familiar ache that had begun to visit her frequently. Kisshu lay in a curled vision of pink on the pillow opposite her. Her mouth tilted in an amused smile, and Ichigo lifted herself up to rest on her elbows.

So much had changed in such a short time. His tawny eyes flashed in her mind's eye, the smooth expanse of pale skin – a lanky figure that held a strength and dexterity most wouldn't be aware of. She reached forward, combing her fingers through Masha's soft fur. Her eyes swept shut and a sigh passed her lips at the onslaught of memories.

Even if she wouldn't admit it to him, she missed it. She spent so much time missing things now that she nearly forgot what it was like to live in the present. Ichigo slipped off the bed mutely and pulled a blanket with her.

She padded down the halls, her soft breathing the only trace of existence in the dimension. She passed the bathing room, which resembled a hot springs. Clear, steamy water lapped against the edges, remorseful for its lack of company. Ichigo continued around the corridor, not even turning to look when the training room's entrance came into view.

The infirmary floor was cold against her bare feet, and she stepped with unease, tip-toeing around various devices and tables. The chair that she used habitually sat by the glass casket, but she didn't feel like sitting.

A thin tube trailed from the top of the glass coffin to his neck, where a thick spidery arrangement of metallic wires branched out and imbedded into the pale skin. She pressed her palm against the glass, closest to his hand. Nostalgia sidled through her as she watched his face, waiting for a reaction that would never come.

Faint illumination edged from underneath his body, encasing him in an ethereal glow. Ichigo stretched out over the surface, resting her cheek against the chill. The barrier left a bitter feeling in her, and she shut her eyes tightly, blocking out the thrum of sound that could only be heard in the absolute silence. She wasn't even aware of when she was no longer alone.

"What are you doing?"

Pai's voice was detached and inquiring. Ichigo lifted her head, her eyes moving to the older male. Embarrassment bloomed in her cheeks.

"I couldn't sleep." She said sheepishly.

Pai stood narrowly, his thin eyebrows meeting in a scrutinizing V. It was the most emotion he'd shown all day.

"So your immediate response is to sleep on top of a medical preservation chamber?"

Ichigo's face grew hot, and she averted her gaze. She pulled herself up, straightening, her eyes falling to her bare feet. She felt like a small child, caught and scolded for late-night wandering. But it was more than that. Pai had caught her sprawled-out over Kisshu's preserved body in the middle of the night. Embarrassing didn't even broach it.

"There is only one, otherwise I'd offer another for your use, Mew Ichigo." He said blandly.

"I apologize. I'll go back to my room."

She moved to step around the glass, only for his voice to still her.

"Kisshu's room," He spoke sharply, "It is his room."

His tone was heavy, and she felt weighed down by its meaning. She twisted back to face him, apprehension rooted thickly in her stomach. Pai considered her with a leaden gaze. They were eyes that were continuously dissecting her actions, analyzing every word she spoke, and calculating a response for each. Under Pai's gaze, however unworthy she was of his attention, she was a significant specimen for examination and permanent distrust.

"Do not forget the basis of your occupancy here, Mew Ichigo. While Kisshu's actions were that of a traitor, he is still one of my own kind, and a personal relation. I am held to protect and aid him due to individual grounds. Your residency is temporary, and thinly tied to Kisshu. Do not think you are welcome."

His lips were pressed in a grim line, and something settled inside of Ichigo as his eyes scathed her. It was Kisshu's own words. She'd heard him utter them with an unshaken certainty before, and at the time she couldn't understand it. Now she did.

"_He serves Deep Blue for only one purpose, and that is to save our planet. Though we have different views on how to do that, we both share the same purpose. I trust him because everything he does is for their sake."_

Pai was an opaque mask, and there was a frightening sharpness to him that unnerved her. She didn't doubt that he would end her without hesitation if she was a liability. Pai scared her a little, but somehow, looking through Kisshu's eyes illuminated him in an entirely new perspective. He was no longer the evil scientist image that she associated with. He was brooding, and the slant of his eyes wasn't accusing and calculating as much as it was disapproving and thoughtful. There was a protective conviction that she could see more clearly now in the slope of his brows, the way his voice grew low and exaggerated when he spoke of Kisshu and his condition.

Pai had a hidden side to him that she hadn't been able to see, considering her position. She could almost see Kisshu right here in a different time, perhaps a few months before they had been pulled together, jokingly slinging his arm around Pai's shoulders and teasing him for being such a party-pooper. She could somewhat see Pai's veiled reasoning for desiring her absence. It made sense why he was so distant and cold. He was the leader of this group, and hundreds of lives rested heavily on his thin shoulders. She couldn't begin to imagine the immense pressure. At least she had Ryou and Akasaka to help her save the earth, as well as the other Mews.

If she were in Pai's place, she'd have gone insane. Especially with someone as playful and irresponsible as Kisshu being the foremost spokesperson for them. Taruto was only a child, and unreliable in fights, even as determined as he was.

"Thank you," She said softly.

It took him by surprise, as his first reaction was a nerve flexing in his jaw.

"I appreciate you allowing me to stay here, even if it has been for a short while. You have been more than generous."

Silence answered her in prolonged strain. Ichigo waited for a response, but it never came. He turned his back to her and after another moment, he answered with,

"Hn."

The older male strode past her, leaving her in the infirmary's chilled hush. She stood there for a beat, in contemplation.

She couldn't pull herself to turn back around. It felt as though he had stated everything in that one syllable. His tolerance of her presence, and the barely contained anxiety that he hid so well. Kisshu would know what to say. Somehow he always did.

The stillness tugged at her, and her eyes slowly dragged back to the glass casket. Half aware, half deep in a state of dreamless thought, the blanket slipped from her shoulders. She draped it over the glass, leaving only his face visible. Ichigo rested her forehead against it, her pulse in echoing in her ears.

"Goodnight." She whispered.

* * *

Ichigo clung to Kisshu, holding his fuzzy form close to her heart. It was silent as she treaded around the curve of the trees that led to Café Mew Mew. As she drew closer, more details became noticeable. Crates were stacked, labeled according to their contents. The back of the café was dark and quiet, but she could still make out the figures of six people.

Taruto had brought her, since Pai had wanted to stay behind to work on research. It had been discussed and decided that she would go and talk to the Mews, explaining their predicament. Hopefully they would agree to help, and she couldn't imagine why they wouldn't – aside from her leaving them without so much as a 'thank you and goodbye'.

Kisshu curled his tail around her arm, burying into her chest and shifting into as comfortable a position as possible. He probably was enjoying every minute of it, since it was a rare advantage to being Masha. She would've yelled at him for it any other time, but right now she was too nervous to muster up the aggravation required. She pressed her face into the pink fur, her eyes firmly set on the distance that separated her from the figures.

Ryou leaned casually against a crate, one hand laced through his sunny blond hair. His gaze was inscrutable as she approached, a deep unrelenting blue silence before the storm.

The girls reacted to her presence one by one. Lettuce smiled at her gently, Zakuro inclined her head in recognition. A quiet aggravation blanketed Mint as she angled her body away from Ichigo. The most predictable and comforting response was Pudding throwing her arms around the Mew leader's middle.

They stood at an impasse for a span of time, before Ichigo finally scrubbed the toe of her shoe over the ground and began to speak. She couldn't find it in her to plunge right into the real reason they were there.

"How is everyone?"

An abrupt snort followed, and Mint was the first to respond.

"Don't pretend you care about our welfare _now_. It's not as though we're more important than a group of aliens that kill diverse species and develop unhealthy obsessions with human girls and then mutate them for their own amusement."

Ryou snapped, "Mint."

The girl didn't sound angry however. Instead her voice drawled in an icy tone, her eyes guarded. Ichigo's fingers flexed instinctively around Kisshu, but he remained silent.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused all of you." She said in a hushed voice.

Lettuce stepped toward Ichigo, one hand outstretched. Her emerald gaze held only tenderness from behind her spectacles. She rested her hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Your absence troubles us. We miss you, Ichigo-san."

"We need you, na no da!" Pudding chirped.

Ichigo swallowed, "I miss all of you, too."

Her chest constricted, and a familiar burn pricked her eyes. It had been too long since she'd seen their faces. She hadn't realized just how much their separation had affected her, and now it spiked in her veins, causing a shudder to run through her. Ichigo stumbled forward, pressing herself into Lettuce. The girl staggered in surprise, but reacted immediately, folding her arms around her friend.

She didn't realize when she had begun to cry until her breathing became labored. Her lashes grew thick with saturation as she hiccupped into the green Mew's shoulder. Lettuce cradled her like a child, smoothing her hand over Ichigo's back. The other girls pressed around her, even Mint, who for the moment seemed to have forgotten her anger. They uttered soothing words, most including how much they had missed her. Mint's version of console included chiding her for being such a stupid, snot-nosed girl and leaving them. Even Zakuro's usual silence felt warm.

Kisshu was still, pressed snuggly into the curve of her throat. Akasaka quietly suggested something to Ryou, and they ushered the girls in a little huddle into the dark, empty café.

* * *

"You want us to help the aliens find the Mew Aqua?" Ryou said incredulously.

Ichigo nestled comfortably into Lettuce's shoulder, Pudding in her lap, and Mint on her other side. Zakuro leaned quietly against the wall.

"No, I want you to _join_ _forces_ with them. You've already been looking for the Mew Aqua. But if we all work together, it'll be easier to find."

Akasaka rested his elbows on the table, his hands steepled in front of him.

"Ichigo, I know that _you_ have good intentions for it. But how are we assured that they aren't intending to use it for other purposes. Fore mostly, what if it is our only defense against whatever their aim is against Earth?"

Kisshu stirred in her arms, speaking for the first time.

_[ Assure him that once we have the Mew Aqua, we will be on our way home. Even if we wanted to stick around and blow things up for fun, we have no time for that. ]_

Ichigo relayed the message, but in more basic terms. Akasaka furrowed his brow.

"How do we know you're not lying?" Ryou said darkly.

Kisshu sighed, _[ Humans. So skeptical. He __**does**__ realize that he is talking to a possessed fur-ball, right? ]_

"He has no reason to lie," Ichigo defended.

Akasaka said thoughtfully, "I don't see any consequences, Ryou."

"That's exactly why we should be questioning this," He said sharply.

Darkness edged into the corners of her vision. Ichigo gasped, reaching forward to clench the table as the inside of her head twisted violently. Images rushed through, potent and painful. She could see something brilliant and cyan, humming with a magnetic energy that felt achingly familiar. Just as abruptly she snapped back into reality, and the faces of the Mews and the two older males filled her eyesight.

"What happened?" Ryou demanded.

_[ Those were my thoughts. ]_

_~ Where did they come from? ~_

Kisshu wiggled in her lap.

_[ They came to me in a dream. I was naked – you would've loved it. ]_

Everyone was still watching her intensely, waiting for a response.

"I saw something," She bluntly ignored the comment, "Mew Aqua, I think."

"Where?" Several voices asked at once.

"It was in Kisshu's mind. He said he saw it in a dream."

Ryou cursed, causing Akasaka to start in surprise.

"It's Masha. It's because of his ability to sense it – combined with Kisshu's need for it."

Ichigo's eyes grew round. She worried her lip.

"This could work." Akasaka said brightly, the scientific part of him glimpsing through.

"I want to help," Lettuce murmured.

Pudding beamed, "Me too, na no da!"

After another pause Mint said, "I will, also."

Many faces turned to Zakuro, who only answered with a curt nod. Every pair of eyes settled on Ryou. He grimaced.

"Well, I suppose if all of you have already made up your mind, there is nothing I can say about it. It's your choice."

Akasaka clasped his hands together.

"Then it is decided. We will contact Kisshu's companions immediately."

* * *

_**Sorry for the late update! I had to go to summer camp. But I tried to make this one count. **_

_**That was a lot of reviews for only one chapter. Thanks, guys! Keep them coming for quicker updates (more reviews help inspire me to write). ^^**_

_**Whitewolfffy~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**~ Chapter Three ~**

Dawn approached as a promise. Warmth breathed into Ichigo as a brilliant orange stretched across the sky. Rain drizzled in thin wisps, leaving a light musk lingering in the air. She stood on her tip-toes, peering out the windowpane as the new morning advanced.

Taruto would not being coming for her till the next day. So, Ichigo had left the café with Zakuro, having borrowed a hoodie to obscure her identity. The earlier theory that the police might have been looking for her – due to her abrupt disappearance from society – had been proven correctly. In fact, they had interviewed her friends, including everyone at the café and some school peers. The only person that had the most untouched connection with Ichigo was Zakuro. So, logically, she decided to spend the night at her house.

Without consent or warning the rest of the girls trickled over one by one to the star's apartment, each armed for a sleepover. Before long they were all sprawled across the floor, cross-legged, on their bellies, sharing everything over the last few months. While none of them attended Ichigo's school, it was still comforting to hear familiar topics about boys, drama, and plenty of stories.

Kisshu had been banished to sleep in the kitchen under the sink, since none of the girls felt secure with him in the same room. By the end of the night she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling with Pudding curled into her side and Lettuce's arm around her neck. The gentle movement of their chests rising and falling mixed with the sounds of her own breathing brought a sense of comfort with it.

A light pressure on her shoulder made her start and pulled her out of her reverie. She turned, noting Mint's presence. Dark waves fell to the girl's throat, her large brown eyes lowered with thought. She was quiet, her lips pressed into an uncertain line. Ichigo angled her body away from the first rays of daylight, facing her friend.

"Is something wrong?" She asked softly.

Mint's dark eyes lifted to her face, her delicate features screwing with indecision. After a beat, she finally responded.

"It's been bothering me for a while. I've tried to talk about it with Lettuce, but I don't like hearing when I'm wrong. I know I've been really rude to you for a while now, especially when you left to…" She paused, "I've been thinking about how I've acted. And…I know I shouldn't have…it's only that I just don't know how to…"

She fumbled, her face growing red as she struggled to continue. Ichigo smiled softly at her, stepping toward the girl and folding her into an embrace. Mint stiffened immediately, though she didn't expect anything less. She smelled nice, like something fragrant and sharp. It brought memories of a time the girls had spent at Mint's mansion, poking through her bathroom with the rest of the Mews. A time where all that had mattered was which perfume they'd try next, and how far they could go without infuriating the ballerina too much. It felt so far away.

"It's okay. I'm not upset." She said simply.

Mint was positioned awkwardly, and after a moment Ichigo was surprised to feel the petite form relax against her.

"Don't tell anyone," Mint mumbled half-heartedly.

The maroon-haired girl laughed softly. Even after all this time she still retained her pride.

"I wouldn't think of it. It'll be our secret."

* * *

Ichigo peered into her closet, sweeping clothes back on the rack. She pulled a dress off a hanger, shoving it in her backpack as quietly as she could. So far she had managed to pack at least a week's worth of clothes. Being in the separate dimension was nice, but she preferred to be comfortable while she was there. In answer to her thoughts, she also grabbed a jacket. The infirmary was usually cold.

Her room smelled of vanilla from the candle on her nightstand. Her parents must have put it there in her absence. The bed was crisply made, the floor clean, and the clothes neatly folded in her dressers. Her mother had probably been visiting it regularly to keep herself from going crazy.

Kisshu floated aimlessly around the room, pausing to scrutinize anything that drew his interest. Taruto sat outside her window, scowling as he waited impatiently. She had managed to convince him to bring her here for some more supplies, though he would have objected if it wasn't for Kisshu. The boy had no qualms about telling her no, but the minute the older alien came into it, Taruto was compliant.

_[ What is this? ]_

Ichigo rotated to face him, her eyes moving to the item in question. A box of tampons sat in her open dresser drawer, innocently placed next to her underwear. Heat bloomed in her face.

_~ Something that one uses to feel better. ~_

Kisshu eyed it thoughtfully, _[ Could it put me back in my body? ]_

Her mouth went dry as embarrassment flooded through her.

_~ No! Just…just leave it alone, okay? ~_

She sensed he was going to push it further, but instead he averted his attention to something else.

_[ Red lace! Where were you planning on wearing these? ]_

There was amusement in his voice, and if he were in his normal form there was no doubt he would've been grinning. She stumbled toward the dresser, reaching forward to slam the drawer shut. He managed to pull a bra free as she did, darting across the room with it.

_[ We'll put this one in the 'yes' pile. ]_

_~ Kisshu! Get back here! ~_

Her face felt hot, and there was no question that it was probably a brilliant red. She moved toward him, but he ducked out of reach, hovering several inches away.

_[ What will I get for it? ]_

Ichigo glowered at his fluffy form, _~ I'll tell you what you won't get. You __**won't**__ get beat up like I was planning to do if you didn't return it. ~_

He laughed gleefully, the bra dangling from his mouth.

_[ Punishment? Do you promise, honey? ]_

Ichigo let out a feral growl, swiping at the bra. He slipped under her outstretched arm, pausing to float near her closet.

_[ I'll tell you what. If you promise me a reward, I'll give it back. Otherwise I'll keep it and hang it in my room as a souvenir. ]_

She glanced at the open window and back at him, frowning. They had been making far too much noise, and at any moment her parents could come up to investigate.

_~ What do you want? ~_

Kisshu stared at her quietly. His tiny wings circled in a blur, keeping him in a motionless flight.

_[ I can't have a kiss because of this awful predicament. Perhaps there is something better, though. ]_

Ichigo took a delicate step toward him, _~ Like what? ~_

He didn't respond. Instead she felt self-satisfaction emit from him.

_[ Do you promise? ]_

_~ Fine, I promise! Now, give it back. ~_

Kisshu chuckled lowly, opening his mouth. The bra fell on the floor soundlessly. Ichigo scooped it up, glaring at him as she stuffed it back in the drawer. He watched her in smug silence as she closed it again.

She slung the bag over her shoulder, striding over to the window. Ichigo threw one leg over the side, inclining her head as she met Taruto's wide, curious eyes.

"We're ready." She said in a hushed tone.

The boy nodded, reaching forward to lay a hesitant, small hand on her shoulder, and another on Kisshu. Her surroundings became indecipherable as they teleported.

"I hope you have everything you need, because I'm not taking you back." Taruto quipped.

They were back in the separate dimension. She immediately felt a pang of longing. She had enjoyed her visit too much, and breathing real air mixed with all the various scents of life and earth…it made her homesick. Ichigo smiled, lifting a hand to ruffle Taruto's pigtails. The boy objected at the contact loudly, his voice rising with pitch as he began to complain to Kisshu. But Ichigo didn't hear him.

She strode straight to Pai's research, where she – predictably – found him sitting behind the device.

"They agreed." She said simply, her eyes fixed on his stoic, unmoving figure.

Pai's eyes slanted toward her, a dull gray that felt cold on her skin.

"Good."

Ichigo frowned, adjusting her bag.

"Is that it? You don't want to know their conditions, worries, or concerns?"

His gaze slid from her back to his research – indifferent.

"Are there any?"

"No," She admitted irritably, "Not really."

"Don't speak in half-hearted, human terms, Mew Ichigo. Tell me what I need to know."

His fingers flew over the keys with ease, as though he had memorized every niche – though, the keyboard was nonexistent and only digital. She couldn't imagine Pai learning how to type in school. In fact, she couldn't imagine Pai in school at all. Absently she wondered if he had been born an adult.

"They are worried that you are not being completely open with your intentions toward this partnership. However, despite the obvious – and growing – list of negatives to this, they have agreed to work together to find the Mew Aqua. Also: Kisshu is having visions of the Mew Aqua's locations. Ryou – my scientist friend – said that he thinks it might have to do with the fact that he is in Masha's body."

Pai pressed his lips into a thin line. It was apparent that he was trying to process all of this quickly and efficiently while responding to it as well.

"They have every reason to be apprehensive. We are not suggesting this partnership out of anything but necessity. In answer to your discovery on Kisshu – this is a convenient and useful development. I shall start running tests and analyzing data immediately."

With that, he turned back to his device, delving into an engrossed assessment of technical statistics that she could never hope to comprehend. Ichigo stood there for a moment, waiting for something else to be said. Nothing ever came, and only the sound of his thin, clever fingers tapping met her.

Kisshu was waiting for her in his room. He sat quietly on the bed, watching her approach with an emotion nothing short of eagerness. Ichigo leaned against the doorframe, allowing the bag to slip off her shoulder and land in a crumpled heap on the floor. It felt good to be able to relax, even if it wasn't in her ideal environment.

_[ What did he say? ]_

She sighed, _~ He is pleased with the outcome of the partnership, and he is going to run some tests on your 'vision' thing. I think the other stuff went in one ear and out the other. ~_

As she sank down onto the bed, her eyes moved to a box in front of Kisshu.

_~ What is that? ~_

_[ Part of the agreement. ]_

Ichigo's face fell. She glared at Kisshu suspiciously as she picked it up, pulling off the lid. A neatly folded maid costume, complete with a garter belt, lace stockings, and a pair of black strap-shoes sat inside. She threw it back down on the bed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Forget it," She huffed.

_[ Ah, c'mon, Koneko-cham. You promised! ]_

"I didn't know you'd be trying to dress me up, you pervert!"

_[ What is so different from that and your Café uniform? ]_

Ichigo paused, throwing him a doubtful look.

"Are you telling me that you weren't planning on getting me to do some ridiculous task with it?"

Kisshu blanched, _[ Well, I did- ]_

"No way, Kisshu!"

He pouted. It was singularly his most dangerous, successful trump card as of yet. Especially combined with Masha's puppy eyes and his talent of making her feel guilty because of his situation.

_[ You promised, Kitten… ]_

His voice spoke volumes of disappointment, and one sidelong glance at Masha's fuzzy, pink face broke her resistance. She would regret this – there was no doubt about that. Ichigo sighed.

"What do you want me to do?"

* * *

The dress was surprisingly adorable and comfortable to wear. Ichigo found it difficult to attach the stockings to the garters, but once she figured it out, it was quite simple. Her hair was pinned back with white bunny clips – part of the hair supplies she had blindly shoved in her bag. The deep maroon locks had grown out considerably since it had been nearly half a year since she had cut them. The bangs were well below her chin, and the general length of her hair reached beneath her shoulder blades. Kisshu enjoyed this new, feminine attribute.

She had spent half an hour already just cleaning the room. She wasn't even sure why she was putting up with this. If he was in his usual smug, irritatingly handsome body she would just clock him one for treating her like some sort of toy. Ichigo fumbled with her skirt, approaching the bed.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" She mumbled, a deep crimson creeping up her neck.

Kisshu lounged on his pillow contentedly. One eye cracked open, assessing her awkward, embarrassed form with satisfaction.

_[ Yes. Call me 'master'. ]_

* * *

_**TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS! **_

_**First: I am not a fan of twitter, but I know most of you are wanting more info on when the chapters will be posted, what they'll be about, etc. SO. I'm going to make a page on FB (face book) that you can all follow. I'll post rough drafts of ideas I have to get some feedback, as well as polls. I definitely need some more involvement/advice from you guys to keep this going :P**_

_**Second: I'll be posting a brand new TMM fanfic soon, so please keep your eyes open for it! If you go like my page on FB, I'll be putting up a poll where you can vote between two ideas I have. I don't know which one to put up -_-**_

_**Search for 'Sherrah Rivet' as a page on FB. It isn't that difficult.**_

_**I'm trying to add comic relief in several chapters throughout the story since I have a bad feeling this is going to have some angst as well. I apologize, but it appears I'm better at writing angst for inhuman teenagers than sparkles and overwhelming happiness. I figure, realistically, the situation of TMM would call for a bit o' angst.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**~ Chapter Four ~**

She had experienced nightmares before, even the kinds that left one breathless and half-aware of reality. This was the first time Ichigo had woken in a cold sweat, however. Her skin felt clammy and flushed, and she kicked back the blankets, struggling to pull herself off the bed. She barely made it across the floor before she fell to her knees, retching. A potent, metallic taste slid over her tongue, and she coughed violently, shaking.

A dark, lusty crimson spotted her hands and the floor, and Ichigo stared at it numbly. She hadn't thrown up, and yet she still felt sick to her stomach at the sight.

Ichigo fumbled as she rose on unsteady legs. She crossed to the bathroom – another addition that had been created for her. Without stopping to look in the mirror, she grabbed a hand towel and returned to the mess on the floor. She smoothed the towel over it carefully, sponging up the scarlet until it was completely gone.

As far as she knew, she hadn't hurt herself in the last few months at all. If she had, it was odd that she would be only showing signs now.

So, why was she coughing blood?

Ichigo laid her head on the floor, pressing her cheek against the cool surface. Her breaths came out in even, steady puffs, and she allowed her eyes to fall closed.

The logical thing to do might be to mention it to Pai. However, she wasn't sure how he'd respond. He might want to run tests on her, or even worse, it would worry Kisshu. The last thing she wanted was to worry him – especially with all the things he already had going on. Then again, she already had a slim chance of him not knowing about it since he could see into her thoughts. Perhaps it was best just to wait it out altogether; maybe time would tell.

She moved from the floor back to the bed, crawling back under the covers hesitantly. Her throat ached, and her head felt light and fuzzy. If she was lucky, she'd be able to hide this from him at least long enough to see if it was serious. Until then, she reached out, pulling Kisshu's fluffy form close as she curled up against her pillow.

* * *

It was windy and miserable on the first day the aliens and Mews met together. Ichigo pressed her face into the interior of her jacket, where Kisshu was also snuggled up near her heart. Her hair whipped around her face, a chill biting into any exposed skin. She cupped her hands around her mouth, gently blowing warm air into them in hope of warding off the cold. At least in his condition, Kisshu didn't have to worry about it.

Pai had come this time to meet with Akasaka and Ryou. They spoke in a scientific dialect that Ichigo couldn't decipher, and Taruto appeared too bored to try. She watched as the young Cyniclon glowered at the trees, which were just as dead and absent as the rest of the plant life in Tokyo. She wondered if they had seen the seasons change before.

Mint and Lettuce approached her – both dressed equally warm against the weather. Lettuce swept her bangs away from her eyes, which had wandered over to the oldest alien. She watched him with a distant curiosity, and Ichigo repressed the urge to say anything about it. Instead she turned her attention to Mint, who looked distinctly displeased.

"What are they intending on us doing?" She frowned.

Ichigo shrugged, "I don't know. I think that is what they are discussing right now."

_[ If I may, ]_ Kisshu interjected, peeking over the exterior of her jacket, _[ I can understand them well enough to tell you what the basis of our objective will be. ]_

"Go ahead." Ichigo said.

The girls both offered her perplexed expressions, and she responded by pointing at the fuzzy pink thing in her jacket. They both smiled.

_[ Ryou is saying that we should start by walking around and hoping I'll detect something – like I'm some sort of tracking dog, which is obviously ridiculous. Thankfully both your scientific friend and Pai shot him down, saying that would be ineffective and would take too much time. Now they're talking about… ]_

Ichigo glanced down at him, taken by surprise at his abrupt silence.

_~ What is it? ~_

Kisshu stirred, obviously still listening intently. He wasn't responding, either. So, she attempted at hearing the answer from his mind. Ichigo hadn't had much practice on purposefully intruding on Kisshu's thoughts – though he had gained _way _too much by doing it to her.

"…_inducing sleep. I think that would be the most logical thing to do. If he saw it through a dream, which implies that he can access Masha's database during that time, inducing sleep might be the best thing we can do."_

Ichigo started, her eyes widening as she pulled away from his mind. Inducing sleep? They were planning on taking the information from his mind? Concern pushed through her. What if while they were trying to enter Masha's system, they somehow hurt whatever was keeping Kisshu preserved? Without really thinking it through, Ichigo found herself covering the distance separating her from the men.

"You're not really thinking of doing that to Kisshu, are you?" She blurted.

All three heads swiveled toward her. Ryou frowned.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"No!" She blushed, "I was just… well, I don't want you to put Kisshu under something like that. You could hurt him if you tried to enter Masha's system. And I–"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Ryou interrupted.

Akasaka offered a gentle smile, "We weren't intending on entering Masha's system for that very reason, Ichigo. We were speaking of inducing sleep and then recording his dreams. Perhaps that way we'd have an insight on the location of the Mew Aqua if he experienced another vision."

Ichigo flushed, embarrassment replacing the concern. Pai looked irritated, though it wasn't unexpected since she had interrupted whatever he'd been speaking about with them. She swallowed, offering an apologetic bow before taking a step back.

"Please excuse that and continue."

She watched in silence as they turned back to whatever they had been saying before. Perhaps it was a good thing she didn't listen to Kisshu's thoughts often.

_[ If it means anything, Kitten, I appreciate your worry. It's nice to know you enjoy my presence, even if it's inside of your furball companion. ]_

_~ Don't be stupid. All lives are precious – even yours. ~_

He fell quiet at that, and she was glad.

The only reason she was staying with the aliens and watching over him was because she felt that she owed him a debt. Kisshu had taken care of her and sacrificed too much for her sake. He had even been willing to die for her. She couldn't turn her back on him. The fact that she was being searched for by the Tokyo police was just another check on the list.

There was no way she wanted to stay by Kisshu's side for sentimental reasons.

No way at all.

"Ichigo?"

She blinked, her eyes flitting to Akasaka's face.

"Yes?"

"Would you tell us if Kisshu will give us the permission for this?"

The aforementioned boy responded immediately.

_[ If it'll help, then certainly. ]_

She delivered the reply, losing interest the moment they dove into discussing details.

* * *

_~ I'm right here; I won't leave. ~_ Ichigo said, absently running her fingers through Kisshu's fur.

The basement of the café was quiet, aside from distant hum of the computers. Pai looked mildly fascinated with the technology. It was highly likely that they were already further ahead than humans, and this was all old to him.

Several wires had been inserted into Masha's exterior entrances, and Akasaka was already nearly finished setting it up on his computer. A camera wire had also been attached to Masha's retinas, that way once he begun to 'dream', they would see whatever he did. Ichigo stood beside the table he was on, her hands laced through the pink fur, her eyes following Akasaka's swift tapping on the keyboard.

_[ It doesn't hurt, Ichigo. I can't feel pain in this body. ]_ He assured her softly.

Somehow it wasn't comforting, even though he said it.

"Perhaps you should stand in the hall with the others, Ichigo-san." Akasaka said, his eyes reflecting worry.

She shook her head firmly.

"I promised I wouldn't leave his side."

If the tables were turned, and she was the one trapped in a foreign body, she knew for a fact Kisshu would refuse to leave her. It was only right that she do the same.

_[ If you see anything that __**isn't**__ the Mew Aqua, don't judge me. ]_

Warmth seeped into her face, despite the situation. She half wished he had been there in his real body, just so she could smack his arm.

"What do we do if he doesn't have a vision?" She asked quietly.

Ryou looked over, catching her eyes with a leveled gaze.

"We go back to the drawing board."

Akasaka let out a low sigh, turning his attention to Ichigo and Kisshu.

"I'm ready to put him to sleep."

This entire thing left unease as a thick film on her insides, and Ichigo couldn't find the words to answer with. Kisshu gently urged her, his wide, pink eyes peering up through her fingers.

_[ Don't be scared. I'll be fine, honey. ]_

She pushed down the anxiety in her gut, nodding to Akasaka.

It was a lifetime in that breath. Kisshu went slack under her touch, his eyes sliding closed. In that moment he felt more like a doll cut from the strings than a boy she had grown attached to. The life seemed to drain right out of him, and for a single spans, panic seized Ichigo. She nearly forgot what was going on, and all that went through her mind was that she was losing him – again. A flashback from that day on the tower wracked her mind, and she choked back the lump that was forming in her throat.

"It's okay," Akasaka said in a hushed tone, "He's okay."

They all hung in that silence, waiting in strain for an image to materialize on the screen. It was a long time before anything did. Ichigo didn't let go of Kisshu, her fingers hitched in his fur as she watched the screen, unblinking. Something would happen. Something _had_ to happen.

Like an explosion, an abrupt assault of images appeared on the screen and began to race through – a slide show on fast-forward. Image after image flitted by, nearly too fast to catch. Her heart stuttered as she recognized faces, and several moments that she herself had been there to witness. Many were places and people that she had never seen, memories that she had never known.

Her eyes dragged away from the screen for a split second, finding Pai's face. His expression was passive, though something in his eyes bit into her with a sorrow she hadn't seen before. She turned back to the screen, realizing with stunned certainty that they were memories from his planet – people, loved ones that he had shared precious years with back home. The majority were horrifying as the images escalated, showing scenes of carnage and death, both from persons and the planet alike. She watched as their own planet began to betray them, to crumble into waste and awful sights that she wished she didn't see. But she couldn't tear her attention away from it. This was Kisshu's life.

Finally more familiar ones began to appear, merging within the terrible visions of Kisshu's home. She saw herself, fighting, arguing, laughing, crying, blushing, grinning – everything was her. And in every one, no matter how she remembered it, through Kisshu's eyes she was beautiful and precious. They continued for a long stretch of time, and Ichigo couldn't quite pinpoint how long it went on for. The quiet in the room was unbreakable, every pair of eyes trained on the computer screen. And just as abruptly as the images had started, they froze.

A single one hovered, the same cerulean glow that she had seen many times before.

"Mew Aqua." Every voice breathed as one.

Akasaka reached forward, tapping something in a hurry, and Ichigo realized that he was trying to record it.

"Can you tell where it is?" Ryou said in a desperate voice.

"I'm trying."

Ichigo couldn't pull her eyes away from the halo of azure light. It illuminated their faces in the dark lab, and something inside of her ached the longer she watched it. They had found it, but something still didn't rest right. There was something wrong here, but she wasn't sure what.


	5. Chapter 5

**~ Chapter Five ~**

It was some time later when Kisshu woke. Ichigo had gone to the back of the café, in the very room that she had woken in when she was poisoned by the Chimera months before. It still held the same sweet, lingering scent. She had laid Kisshu's small, fragile form on the bed. He looked far more vulnerable than she had ever witnessed him, even if he wasn't in his own body.

"_He might be disoriented when he wakes up, Ichigo-san."_ Akasaka had warned as he handed him to her.

Ryou, Akasaka, and Pai had submerged into studying the images they had saved of the Mew Aqua in Kisshu's vision. They finally had a lead, and it was sooner than they had expected. She would have to contact the other girls soon, but for now she just wanted to relax.

She knew when he was starting to come back. His presence surfaced – a warm blot that she was accustomed to feeling in her mind – and she became acutely aware of it even before he spoke. Ichigo watched in silence as Masha's large, round eyes cracked open. There was no emotion in them, and despite the fact that she had grown to expect that, she still caught herself searching them for a glimmer of Kisshu, a hint of feeling that might reflect the soul that was trapped inside.

_[ How did it go? ]_ He asked softly.

It wasn't the usual cheeky inquiry that she was familiar with. She was surprised to find that she had been hoping it was, just even to see a little bit of the old him again. It worried her how much he had changed in such a short time. At times she almost missed scolding him. He had become far too serious since he had gone inside of Masha – though in all honesty she should have anticipated it. Trauma tends to sober the soul.

_~ How do you feel? ~_

She bluntly ignored his question, opting to avoid lingering on conversations that left her morbid. They talked about pain more than they ever used to in the past. He stressed himself far too much over her, and her perspective over it had shifted drastically. Ichigo found it disturbing in the past, how much he cared for her. It had turned into a gradual appreciation because of their situation, and now it only concerned her. He dealt with enough on his own; she and her friends shouldn't have been his prominent thought when he woke.

_[ That bad, hn? ]_ He sighed.

Ichigo grimaced. She should have done a better job of averting the conversation.

_~ They got what they wanted. ~_

_[ What __**we**__ wanted. ]_ He corrected.

She nodded, _~ What we wanted. ~_

Though she didn't mean it – more frequently she was starting to say things she didn't mean. Ichigo wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. She wanted a future for him beyond this, even though they both secretly knew what that entailed. If he lived through this and managed to return to his body, there would be no future for him here. Not even with her – especially not with her. She wasn't even sure where they stood in their 'relationship' – or whatever it was, because she still denied that it could appropriately be called one – together. She cared about him, but it was something birthed from their experiences. It was a need that had slowly flourished because of the bond, and once he was ready to leave, she wasn't sure where that would leave them. It was a subject that was beginning to rise more often in her thoughts, but one that she repeatedly pushed down.

_[ Don't worry about me so much. ]_

She flushed, realizing he'd been quietly listening to her thoughts.

_~ Take your own advice. ~_

Kisshu considered her through half-lidded eyes, and if he were in his normal body she knew it would have had a different effect. But in Masha's fluffy, pink form, it just looked amusing.

_[ I suppose we are both bound to be concerned over one another's well-being considering the situation. ]_

It held more meaning than it had been intended to, and a heady silence fell over them. They were 'bound' – an appropriate word choice.

_[ Are you keeping secrets from me, Ichigo? ]_ He asked after a moment.

Dread coiled in her stomach, and she focused on a lone thread poking out of the blanket under her. She struggled to repress images from the night before. The blood she had coughed up, warm scarlet smeared on her hands. But they came anyway, and Kisshu prodded at her mind, slipping through whatever barriers she had pathetically formed around them. How had he known? She had been carefully trying to avoid thinking about it.

She lathered her thoughts with other emotions – her concern for his well-being, the anxiety over what she had witnessed on the screen before they had seen the Mew Aqua. Those aliens – those people – could have been his family, his friends. Faces that he had seen every day, loved and joked with. Ichigo couldn't shake the images, the world that had been so beautiful, so perfectly flawed, decaying into a sickly mass and turning on its own habitants. Kisshu flinched visibly the moment her thoughts reached him, and she knew that it had been enough.

They sat there for several minutes, neither willing to breech conversation. The atmosphere was too electrically charged, too raw with words left unspoken. It would seem that she wasn't the only one guarding secrets. Kisshu shifted next to her.

_~ Why hadn't you ever… ~_

_[ Why hadn't I told you? What was there to tell? You knew what condition my planet was in. ]_

Ichigo released a slow, heavy breath.

_~ You never told me that they were already dying. That right now they are still dying, and every day you spend down here is another that could be their last. ~_

She could feel the pain her words were stirring in him. It was a foreign emotion, something she hadn't felt from him before. Kisshu had felt misery, anger, but never something like this – not around her. The intensity of it only served to prove to her that it had been something he hid. She reached over, her fingers knitting through his soft fur. He hesitantly leaned into her touch, and another silence settled between them.

_[ Someday, ] _He murmured, _[ I'll show you. ]_

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but something told her she already knew.

* * *

The aliens and Mews met for the first time as an alliance at the café. It was the most obvious choice, and Akasaka drew the curtains, leaving a 'Closed' sign on the door. Ichigo perched on the counter, Kisshu resting in her arms, as they waited for them to arrive. They came together since there were only two – Pai had been there earlier, but Taruto hadn't. So they gathered in the main foyer, Mews and aliens. Somehow it wasn't such a contrast as she had imagined it would be.

Pudding drew Taruto into a suffocating embrace, her excited chatter filling the entire room. He acted less than pleased, but his expression said differently. They spent several minutes with introductions, Lettuce greeting Pai in a polite, friendly manner, Zakuro inclining her head to the both of them. Mint lingered to the side, still abashed at the thought of working with the very side they had been fighting only days before. It an awkward assembly, but within an hour they had settled into a somewhat comfortable group around a table.

The plan was to leave later that night in search of the Mew Aqua. Hopefully the dark would allow less people and interference, giving a chance for the aliens to move about with a smaller probability of being spotted. Pai spoke with Ryou and Akasaka over the coordinates that they had collected from the screenshots. Kisshu slept until they left, which was well after nine.

Ichigo hadn't taken her Mew form for something serious since the battle; up until now she'd only used it occasionally while sparring with Taruto. It was different from this. Thinking of transforming, of being Mew Ichigo, only conjured images of that last fight for Tokyo – the gore, the creatures, and their time on the tower. She could feel herself falling away again, just like when she became that monstrosity to finish it. The anxiety was palpable, and she fingered the pendant while the other girls' outfits melted into their forms one after another. Kisshu watched from the counter, his eyes expressionless. She had grown accustomed to sensing his emotions without seeing them, and this was another one of those moments.

_[ What's wrong? ]_

Their eyes met, and after a beat she averted her gaze.

_[ Strawberry. ] _

She knew what he was thinking. They shared everything – every intimate thought, every nightmare, every memory, and now almost every secret. It wasn't right for her to be trying to hide something that he had blatantly noticed. So she released her thoughts to him, just for a moment, and just enough for him to understand.

He paused, _[ There's nothing to be scared of, Kitten. ]_

_~ I shouldn't be scared of what's happened? Of what __**is**__ happening to us? ~_

_[ You have good reason to be. But don't let that fear interfere with what has to be done. ]_

Ichigo used to think that it was her responsibility as a leader to be fearless, to push through when no one else would. But without that title anymore, she was left with hollowness, an uncertainty of where her purpose was. All she knew was that wherever it was, it was with Kisshu.

She wanted to make him promise that they'd get through this – together. That he would do anything to hold on, to stay with her. Many things were left unsaid these days, though. This was one of them.

Ichigo turned her head, finally meeting his even gaze again. The girls were watching her quietly, having grown somewhat used to these silent exchanges between the two. After a moment she squeezed the pendant, feeling the familiar pulse of heat as a halo of pink light cocooned her figure. It dissipated in a hush, and she flexed her other hand, feeling the blades. The supple material clasped to her body like a second skin, and there was a comforting familiarity in the presence of her ears and tail. But underlying all of that there was the buzz of energy, the power in her limbs and tendons left untouched for well over a month. She loved and resented it.

Kisshu's eyes scathed over her in a once-over, and she flushed at the rush of appreciation that emitted from him.

_[ Welcome back, Kitty. ]_

* * *

Dear Diary,

I'm scared. That's the primary truth that I can't tell anyone, because if I did they'd know I'm still a little girl. Even after my body is altered, even after my mind is torn in half and shared with someone else, I'm still that little girl I was before. I don't even recognize her anymore, and yet she's still there.

When do you decide you're not a little kid anymore? I'm too young for this – at least, I'm supposed to be. I'm waiting for that moment, and I think I've been waiting this whole time. I'm afraid of what I am, of who I'm becoming. But most of all I'm afraid of a future without Kisshu. I'm afraid of where I'll be if it's not with him. He's become my other half – I never thought I'd say that. It's hard to image who I was back then, only a year ago. I hated him. I had myself convinced the only life for me beyond being a Mew was with Masaya. Now I can't even allow myself to think of him without feeling the pain, too. The regret.

Kisshu has been getting worse. I can feel it through him, and I can see it. I know we don't have long, and it isn't because Akasaka tells me. He's tired almost all the time now – I carry him a lot now. The test they did on him worked and now they know how to find the Mew Aqua. I can only pray that it's going to be what we need. If it isn't, I'm going to have to find a way to save him, just like he saved me. Because I might be scared, but I can't let it get in the way of what I need to do.

I don't know what's wrong with my body, and I don't know who to talk to about it. I can't tell him and cause him more worry, and if I told Akasaka he'd definitely share it with Pai or Kisshu since I'm not completely human. I have to tell someone in case of a crisis – the only question is who.

Maybe I should just start titling my entries differently.

– _Ichigo Momomiya_

* * *

_Hey, guys! I'm back._

_I know, it's been a long time. I'm graduated, and now I'm going into college, so I've been ridiculously busy. I hope you're happy, though, because I was thoroughly considering dropping this story. It might have been the reviews you left, or maybe the notifications I kept getting in my Email telling me people were __**still**__ favoriting and following this story. You people are unbelievable. But whatever it was, I decided to come back._

_I'm working on my own book now and I hope to have it published in another year or two. Once it's out there I'll make sure to let all of you know._

_Thank you for the continued nagging and loyalty! I can't believe how pushy you guys are (which is honestly what I need). _

_Whitewolfffy~_


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